Dispensing cabinet



Nov. 30, 1943. J. B. COCANOUR 2,335,581

. DISPENSING CABINET Filed June 2, 1941 1 1. v f i xikkw w 11v VEN TOR, JOHN B. COCANOUR.

A T TORNEY.

Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UN l T ED STATES PAT E NT OFF [C E DISPENSING CABINET JohnB. Cocanour, San Jose;'0alif., assignor to Col-Temp Corporation,-0akland, Oalifg a corporation of California Application June 2, 1941-, Serial No. 396,268

' 2 Claims.

- The present invention relates to improvements in a. dispensing cabinet, and its principal object :is to provide-means whereby the dispensing of liquids from-bottles'is facilitated; and whereby the liquid itself is kept under control as to temperature and pressure conditions.

It has been previously proposed, as for instance in the Stadtfeld'patent, No.- 2,191,918, and the application of' Donald Colvin, Serial Number 246,637, which hasmatured in Patent No. 2,255,- 280, dated September 9, 1941,t0 provide. dispenscet to allow the liquid from the former to be dispensed through the latter.

Suchdoors are mounted with freedom of swinging movement ona horizontal axis to allow the same to be swung upward to bring the bottle to the front in upright position for removal of the empty bottle; andsubstitution of the new one.

The present invention generally relates to the same subject-matter, and proposes to provide novel mounting means for a door of the character described.

More particularly, it is proposed to provide a mounting means for a reversible door which closes the door opening in either position, whether the front or the rear of the door is presented on the outside of the cabinet.

It is further proposed to provide a mounting means for the reversible door in which the latter is substantially balanced on its supporting means so as to render the change of the door from one position to another exceedingly easy and simple, While, at the same time, considerable economy of space is maintained.

Another object of my invention is to arrange the mounting means in such a manner as to continuously exert pressure on the door toward the door opening. It is further proposed to provide means concealed in the mounting means for admitting a pressure medium into the bottle so as to allow the liquid to be dispensed under pressure through a faucet disposed at a higher level than the lower portion of the bottle.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features thereof will be fully set forth in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front view of a cabinet .using my reversible door;

Figure 2, aside View of the same, certain portions being shown in section;

, Figure S, a fragmentary View in side elevation of the upper portion of the cabinet,lshowing the 1 door in the act of being inverted; and

Figure 4, a similar View showing the door completely inverted.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish-to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the'scope of the claims hereto attached Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the cabinet i maybe of any suitable construction, and is intended-to be in the nature of a refrigerationor pooling cabinet. arrangementor apparatus usually associated in refrigeration devices, and may be formed: as, a .special unit, as shown in the drawing, or as part It may contain any suitable of a :Iarger unit containing refrigeration apparatus, an ice-maker, means for circulating air, etc.

As shown in the drawing, the cabinet comprises a lower section 2 adapted for accommodation of the refrigeration apparatus, not shown, and preferably a supply of bottles, this portion being accessible through a lower door 3, which may also present the front wall of a drawer.

The upper section 4 of the cabinet presents a front wall 5 set back with respect to the front wall of the lower portion to provide a small platform 6 for glasses and the like, and the front wall is provided with a suitable door opening, indicated at 1 adapted to be closed by the door 8 which forms the principal subject-matter of the present invention.

When in dispensing position, this door has a pair of bottles 9 mounted upon the rear face thereof in inverted position between a bottom manifold 10 and clamping plates ll, while a faucet I2 is mounted upon the front of the door and is connected to the manifold I0 through a tube l3.

A small tube l2 projects into each bottle from the manifold, and serves to admit a suitable gas such as carbon dioxide for keeping the liquid preserved and under pressure so that it may be completely drained through the faucet I2.

When the door is reversed, the faucet is on the inside of the cabinet, and the bottles are on the outside, as shown in Figure 4, so that new bottles may be substituted for empty ones, the

plates l I being releasably mounted, by means not shown, to allow of the exchange of bottles.

The mounting means for the door comprises a pair of links l having trunnions 16 mounted coaxially in brackets ll secured upon the upper edge of the door opening, with freedom of rocking movement.

Coiled springs I8, suitably anchored to the trunnions and stationary parts of the door frame, urge the free ends of the links l5 toward the door opening, but allow the links to be swung away in the manner illustrated in Figure 3. The free ends of the links are connected to opposing points of the vertical door edges, intermediate the height of the door, by means of pivots 20, the latter two pivots being in axial alinement.

The sides of the door are provided, near the upper edge of the latter, with rollers 2i adapted to bear upon the vertical margin of the door frame or special guide tracks 22 provided for that purpose. The links [5, the trunnions l6 and the pivots 20, are preferably made of hollow tubing, so as to allow a small gas conduit 23 to be accommodated and concealed therein for connection with the manifold and the tube l2 in each bottle.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

For dispensing operations, the door 8 is mounted as shown in Figure 2, the inverted bottlesbeing inside the cabinet and the faucet upon the outside. The door is firmly supported in this position by the links 15, and the springs l8 on the trunnions I6 urge the free ends of the links l5 toward the door opening.

If it is desired to exchange bottles, the operator takes hold of the lower end of the door and swings the same away from the door frame. This will cause the door to revolve about the pivot 20, and at the same time, causes the lower ends of the links to swing away from the door frame, thus allowing the rollers 2| to roll downward in the tracks 22, this movement being illustrated in Figure 3.

As soon as the door has passed through a horizontal position, the springs I8, which have been compressed by the previous action, urge the free ends of the links toward the door frame with increased strength, and at the same time, urge the door to complete its reversing movement until the door again lies fiat against the door frame so as to cover the door opening, but this time in inverted position, with the faucet on the inside of the cabinet, and the bottles upon the outside, in upright relation.

Now the bottles may be quickly and conveniently exchanged, and the door again be inverted by pulling on the new upper edge of the door.

The rear of the cabinet may be suitably curved, as shown at 25, and is preferably made of glass, or other transparent material to allow a customer to view the bottles therethrough.

I claim:

1. A cabinet of the character described having a door frame and door opening therein, a door for the opening, and hinge means whereby the door is reversibly mounted upon the frame for closing the opening in normal and in reversed position, the hinge means being hollow and having a tube therein adapted to form an operative conduit in any door position.

2. A cabinet of the character described having a door frame and a door opening therein, a door for the opening, and hinge means whereby the door is reversibly mounted upon the frame for closing the opening in normal and in reversed position, the hinge means comprising a pair of hollow links, hollow pivots at corresponding ends of the links, alined hearings on the frame adjacent the door opening supporting the pivots, and hollow pivots at the free ends of the links on which the door is supported, and a tube extending through the hollow links and pivots and adapted to form an operative conduit in any door position.

JOHN B. COCANOUR. 

